Immigrants going through the steps of a legal immigration process is better than no process/ no enforcement that we've seen in the past few years. I believe the number of illegals who have come in (regardless of how) is 7 million since Biden took office.
In your limited research, did you come across any safety nets, social programs, or anything close in the early 1900's to what the US has today? Did you see any prepaid debit card programs for migrants, which is being proposed now by NY's mayor at the cost of taxpayers? The answer is no.
My data is the reality of the first few decades of the 1900's. Minimal schooling beyond elementary, no social programs, no subsidies, grade school kids working in factories, etc. Most arrived with nothing, so they did everything and anything for work to get by.
Any information you request on this topic after this post will come with a fee. I know US history well but done teaching you for free.